Tests for in vitro eye irritation according to OECD 492B are now available

Testing according to OECD 492B Time-To-Toxicity test with the liquid protocol

For a long time, testing substances for eye irritation was done in animal models using the so-called Draize test. To reduce and avoid these animal tests and in line with the 3R principle, a range of ex vivo and in vitro test methods for eye irritation and serious eye damage were developed and later adopted in OECD technical guidelines (e.g. OECD 437, OECD 491, and OECD 492). Although many substances then could be classified as either UN GHS Category 1 (inducing serious eye damage) or UN GHS No Category (non-irritants) with only in vitro tests, some substances would still fall between the two categories and thus require in vivo testing. To fill this gap so-called defined approaches were developed (e.g. OECD 467), where test results (and other relevant data) are assessed to jointly support a classification as UN GHS Category 2 (irritants to eyes). Unfortunately, the available defined approaches can only be used for narrowly defined testing strategies.

OECD recently published OECD guideline 492B, which describes a Time-To-Toxicity test to identify test substances belonging to either Category 1, 2 or No Category. This would then fill the above-mentioned gap and avoid in vivo testing. The Time-To-Toxicity test is performed according to two different protocols, one for liquid test substances and one for solids.

We can now offer testing according to OECD 492B Time-To-Toxicity test with the liquid protocol, while testing of solid test substances will follow shortly. If you have a substance that you may have to classify as Category 2 for eye irritation, then we are ready to help you avoid any animal testing.